Paul Simon – Live Rhymin’

This live album is often overlooked in most people’s ‘catalogue’ of Paul Simon albums. It should not be as it is a superb timepiece to his emergence as a solo live performer. The perception of not being a vital album to listen to must start with the cover. For someone as meticulous as Paul Simon this is not exactly in with the 1001 album covers you must see before you die. Even he looks bored. It does not reflect the gems on this record.

I saw a similar line up the first time I saw Paul Simon at the Palace Theatre Manchester in December 1975. It was a special night, marred only by two theatre employees behind us continually discussing the ‘fact’ that Art Garfunkel was in the building and would be coming on stage – he didn’t. Simon was relaxed, not overly talkative, but held the audience spellbound. Prior to the concert the Manchester Evening News had an interview with him where he stated that this was his final tour, and he would be concentrating on studio work only from now on – safe to say he did not.

My attendance at this concert was fraught with difficulties and stress. I was working for the Post Office in Darwen, Lancashire at the time. As was usual on a Thursday morning I would pick up my ordered copy of the NME from the newsagents along the road. Oh, what joy – a Paul Simon tour. A short one but a chance to finally see him. I believe I was shaking with excitement. First problem was how to get tickets in those pre-internet days. There were only two choices back then – visit the venue or send a postal order through the post and take your chances. The post was unrealistic in view of there being only one concert in Manchester at a relatively small venue compared with the arenas of today. Taking a liberty over my break time I called my friend from the red telephone box attached to the Post Office and thankfully he was free to get over to Manchester by train to get some tickets. When he arrived to see me, we rang the Palace Theatre to ask what seemed a perfectly reasonable question – ‘How long is the queue?’

‘There isn’t one’ came the reply with an obvious inference that we were eccentric madmen.

So, my friend took the train, and we had four priceless tickets.

The other two went to my friend’s girlfriend and the other to my brother. Now in view of just how exciting and life altering this concert was we made some pretty stupid decisions on the day. The said current girlfriend lived some distance away in the wilds of the Rossendale Valley. Her quite wealthy dad had a car or two, so at the very least we should have got him to drop her off in Darwen for a straight through train to Manchester. Or preferably takes us all the way to Manchester. Instead, we headed out to the valley by a bus or two to catch another bus to Manchester – a rather slow bus that went out of its way to stop for anyone it could find. Finally, we arrived at the Palace Theatre with minutes to spare. Here was problem two. In another unfathomable decision my brother had arranged to meet us at the theatre having spent the day with friends in Sale, Manchester. As I might have known he was nowhere to be seen. Frantically we searched for a phone box – you may remember the times when mobile phones were a subject of science fiction. Having got through to his friend’s house it appears he had left for Manchester centre. We though had the tickets and could only get one to him if he arrived – another stupid decision not to give him his earlier. Two minutes to show time my brother comes tearing down the street and we were inside as the lights were dimmed. I felt we were showing Paul Simon a lack of respect as we got to our seats in a state of stress and perspiring disarray.

The concert fortunately closely mirrored this live compilation – ‘Live Rhymin’’. So, what I may have not taken in as well as I might have done is all recorded here for posterity.

The album, as was usual for Paul Simon concerts for many years, starts with ‘Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard.’ The quirky lyrics are here sung solo with just his acoustic guitar for accompaniment. It is a spirited start, but the song rather suits a band arrangement rather than being performed solo. A large part of the song’s appeal is the rhythmic drive that the album version possesses. If you have seen him perform this with a full band, then there is no contest as to which is the superior way to execute this song. For Simon at this time this was just a settling in song before the real magic comes over.

Still staying solo on stage with just his acoustic for company he picks the note that can only mean ‘Homeward Bound’ to be the next song. The note hangs teasingly in the air before he runs through the opening notes of his classic ode to Widnes Railway Station and his beloved Kathy. This is such an evocative version. He still sounds in love, with England surely, but this feels as if he thinks of Kathy all day, every day. He must have sung this hundreds of times by this stage of his career, but this version is full of meaning and genuine sentiment. It was an important song and message to him when he wrote it, and he sounds still quite affected by what he wrote. Quite beautiful.

Next up, after some idiot clapping its arrival, is arguably his finest song – ‘American Tune.’ I have given it some thought over the years and I cannot find myself ever putting another of his composition ahead of this one. It perfectly captures the state of the Union back in the mid-1970s. It does however go on to be timeless, which is the powerful strength of ‘American Tune’. I am not American but even from a distance Simon seems to encapsulate everything worthy and difficult about the American dream. His lyricism here is for me his finest ever, and accompanied by a stolen gorgeous Bach melody, the song is an artistic thing of beauty – simply exquisite. For a rich guy he gives Springsteen a run for his money in getting inside how the common man is feeling. Simon too must have found American life a struggle, but he got on with it and it could all be all right. For all its challenges there are worse places to live but it could be so much better if we could make it all come together. It only works as an American experience. I relate to it in my imagination and from general knowledge of world affairs. The sentiments expressed here could never work in a song called ‘English Tune.’

It is the acoustic numbers that have the greatest impact for me on this live album. I think that is because of the nostalgia evoked by Simon simply standing solo on stage with a guitar. He has an affinity with England and the Northwest of course was an important area back in the time of the mid 60s when Simon was touring folk clubs. His solo songs are the closest I can get to how it must have been to see him perform in an intimate setting. As I was around ten years old at the time I missed that era. We will come to his extraordinary rendition of ‘America’ at the end of this album.

All the other songs are performed with the band and invited guests. He achieves varying degrees of success. Undoubtedly the finest collaboration is with the Peruvian group Urubamba. Simon performed with them in Paris in the mid-1960s and they of course feature on the ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ album. They reprise ‘El Condor Pasa’ with Simon and it is a stunning success. The simplicity of their instrumental accompaniment is beautiful and for this extraordinary foray into world music he could not have chosen a better group of supremely talented musicians. For all the brilliance of ‘Graceland’ there is something captured here, a spirit of the music of another land, that even ‘Graceland’ I feel cannot quite match.

‘Duncan’ comes next, and it is a song that means a lot to me. Not one of his absolute finest, the lyrics are a little bit lightweight and clunky, but it is a special song to me. ‘Duncan’ was the first track I heard from his first long awaited solo album. Back in the day there used to be such a thing as record stores – yes children, shops that sold music. Even larger general stores such as Woolworths had a record department. It was in one of these – Boots the Chemist actually – that I first heard this much anticipated album. I was a bit obsessed to say the least about when this first solo offering was going to appear. I must have driven the staff mad in the shops continually asking for an update on the release date. On my lunch hour it was my custom to visit the record stores and have a good browse through the racks, even taking advantage of the listening booths in shops such as Reidys in Blackburn to try before I bought – usually just skipping out unseen before I was pressured to make a purchase.

Anyway, this lunch hour I could hear this captivating South American flavoured tune. Then, surely that is Paul Simon’s voice. I just stood there spellbound. If the rest of the album was this wonderful then what a treat was in store. Problem was it wasn’t payday; I had no money in those pre-credit card days to buy it. I was flustered as I self-consciously went to the young lady at the counter to confirm that this was indeed THE album. She confirmed it was but only a pre-release copy sent to trial in the store – a couple more weeks at least before general sale. Oh, the pain and suffering but at least I now knew when so that I would have the money. I must have looked a right gibbering idiot at the counter but then I suppose we all have our moments. About twenty years later that same young lady became my close working colleague and lifelong friend at my place of work. Fortunately, she recalls nothing.

Urubamba do a fine job on this live take. I never again heard Simon sing this song live despite seeing him many times. I can’t help feeling he knew it needed a rewrite, but it is a lovely melody and quite atmospheric.

Urubamba provide the accompaniment to a laid-back version of ‘The Boxer.’ No booming drums or intense chorus on this version. It works well but spoiled somewhat by Simon inserting the extra verse mid-song. I always think that is a clunky, out of place verse that has nothing to do with the narrative. Urubamba know exactly where to come in and add colour – a fine worthy version if you can ignore the extra verse.

Next, Simon brings on the Jessie Dixon singers. His flirtation with other musical styles is gathering pace. For me this is not as successful. ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ never gets off the ground despite the song itself have a spiritual quality about it. Rather than play this low key, I cannot help feeling this group of singers could have really soared on this one. They soar a bit more on ‘Mother and Child Reunion,’ but it never comes close to the power of the original recorded with a reggae rhythm. The handclaps are painfully embarrassing.

It is not to say these are unworthy of being recorded here. Anything I may feel lacking in these other two is forgiven with the breathtaking version of ‘The Sound of Silence.’ Perhaps the finest version of the song. Brings tears to the eyes as they say. The singers add a spiritual dimension the song that makes the song have even more meaning if that is possible. Jessie Dixon takes a verse with such conviction with the other singers coming in with a sublime harmony. Simon brings the song home as the angelic chorus carries him to the end. Truly stunning and moving.

With ‘Loves me Like a Rock’ you sense the singers have really warmed up. Again, this is a fabulous version that rocks the audience back in their seats. You could imagine Simon performing this with Jessie Dixon and the singers amongst the bouncing congregation in a Sunday service back in the Southern States.

The reticent Simon is asked at this point to “say a few words.” He responds with his now famous “let’s hope that we continue…… to live.” Simon sounds exhausted. I remember Roy Carr in the NME saying that he had given his all and could barely take on the final song which was ‘America.’ Carr said that his exhausted state made the performance of one of his finest songs so moving. He was talking about the Royal Albert Hall concert. At the time it was said that the London concert was recorded on the Rolling Stones mobile studio for a live album. The version of ‘America’ sounds exactly as Carr described it. Simon’s tiredness makes it all the more moving. He sounds like he has hitchhiked from Saginaw. Whatever energy and feeling he had left he pours into this final song. Solo, with only his acoustic guitar for company, he betrays a vulnerability about his performing skills and his personal feelings that this song reflects. The extra applause on the American placenames would indicate that this is recorded at a venue in the States. Carr captured the alternative moment at the famous old London hall so well, as this version is exactly as he described.

Live ‘Rhymin’ is a largely forgotten album. The package does not scream that CBS were that bothered one way or the other about this. It does though capture the Simon of the time beautifully, as well as giving an insight into how he must have sounded in those heady days touring the bleak Northern towns of England.

I would urge you to check it out. I was there as they say, and this puts me back in the stalls at the Palace Theatre.

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